Certain Women

Kelly Reichardt directed Certain Women, adapting three short stories from Maile Meloy's collections 'Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It' and 'Half in Love.' The film was released in 2016 and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Reichardt is known for her minimalist, contemplative style focused on quiet lives in the American West.

The ensemble cast includes Laura Dern, Kristen Stewart, Michelle Williams, and Lily Gladstone, each anchoring one of the three interconnected Montana narratives. Lily Gladstone's quiet, deeply felt performance was particularly acclaimed and helped launch her to wider recognition. Jared Harris and James Le Gros also appear in supporting roles.

The first story follows Laura Dern as a lawyer dealing with a stubborn client who refuses to accept an unfair settlement. The second centers on Michelle Williams as a mother trying to build a new home while her husband undermines her confidence. The third follows Lily Gladstone as a lonely ranch hand who becomes attached to Kristen Stewart's night-school law teacher.

All three stories are set in and around Livingston, Montana, and the vast, sparsely populated landscape is integral to the film's tone of isolation and quiet endurance. Reichardt's direction emphasizes the distances between people, both physical and emotional. The Montana setting reflects the same frontier introspection found in her other films like Meek's Cutoff and First Cow.